Essential Buying Tips When Looking For The Best Landscape Fabric In The Market

Garden or lawn maintenance and upkeep has never been an easy task. You need to do daunting tasks such as tilling the soil, trimming and cutting the grass, tree branches, bushes and others. Also, you need to deal with annoying weed that ruins not only the aesthetics of the garden but also the plant’s health.

Luckily, there is a good solution to deal with weed problem permanently. The good thing is that you don’t have to do much work to get rid of these annoyances. One of the best solutions for weed problem is by using landscape fabric.

Landscape fabrics or also known as weed fabrics are becoming a popular choice of weed control because they provide convenience of use and work much effectively than other alternatives.

Furthermore, they are environment-friendly which don’t harm or affect the health of plants and other living organisms in the garden.

Buying the best landscape fabric for your garden will be an excellent choice for its maintenance and upkeep. However, it will not be as easy since there are a lot of things to consider if you want to purchase the best option that suits your specific requirements.

To help you make the right purchasing choices with regards to landscape fabrics, we’ve laid out all the necessary info that you’ll need. Also, we’ll be giving you our top 5 suggestions of the most popular landscape fabrics in the market today to narrow down your choices.

Things To Consider When Buying Landscape Fabrics

Just like when buying anything, you need to consider a few things if you want to have the best choice that suits your needs and to make sure you are getting the most out of your money. Here are a few of the considerations that you should make before getting a landscape fabric for your garden.

1. The Landscape Fabric Should Be Breathable

When it comes to landscape fabrics, the first and foremost consideration that you have to make is if the fabric is breathable. You would want the fabric to be breathable to allow for oxygen and water for the plants.

Also, you would want to steer clear from fabrics that are made out of plastic since they’re not breathable and can even cause harm to the environment.

2. A Landscape Fabric That Looks Clean

Another purpose of using landscape fabrics on the garden is to enhance its aesthetics. The last thing you want to do is using a landscape fabric that doesn’t match the theme of your garden or choosing a garden fabric that makes your garden look dull.

3. Easy To Install Yourself

It’s a hassle to call in a professional just for a simple task. Instead of purchasing a complicated fabric to protect your garden from weeds, select a brand that you can install yourself with a pair of scissors and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

4. Environment Friendly

Your ideal landscape fabric should be effective at eliminating weed – not other organisms in the garden. There are other living organisms in the garden which can be beneficial to plants such as worms, bees, butterflies, ants and others which you don’t want to kill if you’re using a landscape fabric.

In addition, using fabrics with chemicals can cause harm to the soil making it dry and insufficient of nutrients for plants.

The primary reason to using a landscape fabric is to not resort to using chemicals to eliminate weeds. When on the lookout for your ideal landscape fabric, find one that is chemical-free and safe to the environment.

5. Durability

Of course if you want a landscape fabric that can last a long time then you need to find one that is durable. Durable landscape fabrics not only give you a money-worthy product but also lessen the work of having to replace your fabric more times in a month or year.

Top 5 Landscape Fabrics In The Market Today

Now that you have a better idea of the importance as well as the considerations to make in purchasing landscape fabrics for your garden, let’s jump right in to the best and most preferred landscape fabrics today.

These choices are carefully picked based on the criteria of durability, features, design and affordability. They are as follows:

1. DeWitt P4 4' Pro 5 Landscape Fabric

When it comes to the best weed fabric in the market today, we should never leave the Dewitt Pro 5 skipped. It features a roll of 5 ounces of woven fabric that is needle-punched which in turn provides optimum strength as well as durability.

It is also designed with state-of-the-art technology with its 100% opaque feature that disallows seed germination as well as photosynthesis for weeds. This feature also lessens the need of using chemicals as well as pesticides in the garden which could be harmful to the environment.

Another good feature of this product is that it has a 5-year warranty for UV deterioration and with its long length in every roll, it can cover huge areas in the garden.

Seeing that it is needle-punched, this choice of landscape fabric is excellent for ground coverings for all sorts of terrain whether even or uneven as well as through soil or even rocks. Adding to its strength and durability is its 2 layers of polypropylene material construction.

It also designed with excellent permeability and it has a neutral-black color which aids in keeping light from seeping through for the weeds. This permeability and color also works great in helping the plants block harmful UV rays from the sun.

PROS

Needle punched material is excellent for mounds and hills for better moisture

2. SCOTTS Pro Fabric

If you’re worried about soil erosion and crumbling ground in your garden then this landscape fabric from Scotts could be your excellent choice. This 3’x150’ landscape fabric from Scotts has amazing design features for erosion control while providing excellent weed control.

This product is designed with durability in mind but still light enough to be installed and lifted to the garden with ease. With regards to its texture, unlike others which is designed with a feel of flimsy plastic this product is made of top quality fiber.

It is durable but is also easy to cut which makes it a great choice for people who are trying to install a landscape fabric in their garden for the first time.

Although the brand name is quite popular and they have established a good number of customers over the years, this product of theirs is relatively cheaper than its competitors that sell landscape fabrics with the same measurements.

If you’re looking for durability and affordability in your landscape fabric then this 3’x150’ pro landscape fabric from Scotts could be your best choice.

PROS

Excellent weed control without using chemicals

Also good for using in pathways and retaining walls

Durable to last for 2 decades

Minimizes chances of soil erosion

Durable by light and easy to cut

Easy installation – even beginners can install with ease

CONS

Thin material makes lasting years (2 decades) a bit questionable

Easily tears through sloping terrains

Not durable against rodents

3. Dewitt 4’x50’ Landscape Fabric 12YR450

The last thing you want is to reinstall your landscape fabric very often. Not only could this be very tiring but also very costly. If you’re looking for a landscape fabric that is all about durability and affordability, then the Dewitt 4’x50’ fabric could be your best choice.

This brand provides optimum durability and has an established name that guarantees that customers are getting the most out of their money. Also, the company has a good reputation of making sure that weeds stay out of the garden for a year despite harsh conditions.

Although a lot thicker than its counterparts, this product is lightweight which makes it easier to install as well as cut to manageable pieces.

Just like most weed barriers today, this product from DeWitt is also environment-friendly and is designed with advanced features. Among those advanced features include its construction material which is manufactured through spun-bond method.

It is an excellent choice for making sure that weeds never grow back. One contributing factor to the elimination of weeds is the carbon-black content in its material which ensures that light is not supplied to the weeds.

It is also hydrophilic treated providing optimum permeability towards the nutrients required by plants.

PROS

A good option for the first-time users since it is easy to install

Excellent water and air permeability

Light doesn’t seep through for weeds under the fabric

Durable material that prevents unravelling and easy to cut to desired pieces

CONS

Cannot hold rocks

The thin material is doubtful to last for 12 years

4. Dewitt 3’x50’ Tree Wrap

This landscape fabric from Dewitt is a tree wrap that protects trees against scorching as well as from damages from gardening tools and equipment such as mowers and trimmers. If you’re looking to ensure the health and aesthetic look of the trees in your garden, then the Dewitt tree wrap could be your best choice.

This product is constructed with polypropylene material which could match trees of any texture or shape. With the use of tree wraps, girdling of tree trunks are efficiently prevented. Also, this product is a popular choice seeing that it is medically tested and recommended by professionals.

Just like any fabrics used in the garden, it is also designed to be durable as well as breathable to provide optimum permeability. It is also tangle-proof for easy installation and is designed to last for 2 decades if installed properly.

Although it comes with a thick layer of fabric, it is light with 3 ounces of total weight which is easy to install and cut to desired pieces and shapes to conform to the tree.

PROS

Doesn’t tangle when installing

Good length of 50 feet which allows to cover more number of trees in the garden

Durable material which makes it excellent for protecting trees from insects

3-year satisfaction warranty

White color conforms to any garden aesthetics

CONS

Not all users may be comfortable with its color

A bit more expensive than other compact tree wraps

5. PRO Series Weed Control Landscape Fabric

This landscape fabric is a popular choice because it is durable and long lasting. It has a total of 4’x225’ in a roll and is tested to last for more than a decade when installed properly on to a landscape.

It is an excellent choice for keeping weed from growing and stealing away the nutrients that are meant for plants. It has excellent permeability features that allow water and air to conveniently seep through to the plants – not to the weeds.

This landscape fabric is a cut above the rest because it is polypropylene constructed with triple layer of spun bond fabric that delivers extra durability and strength. With this material construction, this landscape fabric works better in eliminating the light supply for weeds.

Also, it eliminates seed germination for weeds and provides a firm hold for the soil providing fewer chances for soil erosions. This is also an ideal choice for changing climates since it is durable and can withstand hot or cold temperatures.

The package comes with a DIY instruction manual so you can install the landscape fabric easily and like a pro.

There are a few reviews about having lesser length than the total 225 ft from package

Can last only a few years if not installed properly

Not recommended to hold rocks

Conclusion

Indeed, these options are the best solution to eliminate weeds in your garden. As a personal recommendation, we would go with the DeWitt P4 4' Pro 5 Landscape Fabric because of these following reasons:

It provides a good length of 250 feet which is excellent in covering large areas of lawns or gardens

2 layers of polypropylene material provides a double layer of durability and protection against insects

Although thick, it is light for easy cutting and installation

What do you think about top choice of garden fabric for your garden? Do you have better recommendations? Do let us know, we’d love to hear your thoughts through our comment box below.

My name is Emily Taylor, gardening is my passion and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone. I know that there are millions of people out there want their backyard and garden be attractive just like their front yard, so I am here to help you create your own backyard paradise.